Freight and baggage loader.



PATENTED DBC. 46, 190s.

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Q nw Q .IP e 8 N\ s w w n.. 5N \1 m. N Nwm vr/Nl W Attorneys No.808,166. PATENTED DBG. 26, 1905.

J. MCGANN.

FREIGHT AND BAGGAGE LOADER.

APPLICATION FILED SBPT15. 1905.

2 SHBETS-SHEBT 2.

amm, Inventor,

W tnesses Attorneys JAMES MCGANN, OF VYNDMERE, NORTH DAKOTA.

FREIGHT AND BAGGAGE LOADER.

Specication of Letters Patent.

Patented Dec. 26, 1905.

Application filed September l5, 1905. Serial No. 278,647.

T0 all 7,071,071@ it 77u01/ concern:

Be it known that I, JAMES MCGANN, a citizen of the United States,residing at Tyndinere, in the county of Richland and State of NorthDakota, have invented a new and useful Freight and Baggage Loader, ofwhich the following is a specification.

The principal object of the present invention is to facilitate thehandling of trunks, baggage, and freight and to provide a mechanism ofsimple and economical construction which may be attached to existingfreight and baggage cars for rapidly loading' and unloading said cars.

A further object of the invention is to provide a device of thischaracter which may be operated by the compressed air from the trainpipeof the brake system and to provide means whereby the station agent orother employee standing at. one-side of the car may control theoperation of the device through the manipulation of a suitable valve orvalves.

A still further object of the invention is to provide an apparatus ofthis character which may be placed on both sides of the car anddisconnected from the operating means when not in use, the apparatus atthe loading side of the car being adjusted to operative position, whilethe mechanism at the opposite side of the car remains inoperative.

With these and other objects in view, as will more fully hereinafterappear, the invention consists in certain novel feature-s ofconstruction and arrangement of parts hereinafter-fully described,illustrated in the accompanying drawings, and particularly pointed outin the appended claims, it being Linderstood that various changes in theform, proportions, size, and minor details of the structure may be madewithout departing' from the spirit or sacrificing' any of the advantagesof the invention.

In the accompanying drawings, Figurel is a vertical section of a portionof a baggagecar provided with a baggage or freight handlingI deviceconstructed in accordance with the invention. Fig. 2 is an inverted planview of the mechanism. Fig. 8 is a detail sectional view of one form ofcontrollingvalve which may be employed.

Similar characters of reference are employed to indicate correspondingparts throughout the several figures of the drawings.

rl`he car A is of any ordinary construction and is shown in the presentinstance as provided with doorways on -opposite sides. At

rthe member 22 by means of a link 29.

a point below and near each side of the car is arranged a pair ofhangers 10, having bearings for the reception of a shaft 11, to which issecured a pair of rocker-arms 12, the outer ends of said arms being'connected by cross bars or plates 13, forming a platform on Which thetrunks or other articles to be loaded or unloaded may be placed. To oneof the arms 12 is connected one end of a-chain 14, a link of which maybe passed over a suitable hook 15, projecting from the side of the carin 0rder to support the apparatus in elevated or inoperative positionwhen not in use, as shown to the right of Fig'. 1, or the platform maybe held in mid-position, as shown in dotted lines to the left of Fig. 1,in order to form a step to facilitate the loading and unloading ofbaggage where it is not necessary to use power. During operation,however, the platform moves from the lowest position (shown to the leftof Fig. l) to an elevated position, similar to that shown to the rightof Fig. 1, and heavy baggage or freight maybe raised from thestation-platform to the car or may be lowered from the car to theplatform Without danger of injury to the trunks or other articles.

Secured to the bottom of the car in any suitable manner, as by hangers17, is a cylinder 18, in which is arranged a piston 19, normally held inthe dotted-line position shown in Fig. 2 by means of a spring 20. Tothis piston i's connected a rod 21, the outer end of which is connectedto a lever 22, that is pivoted at a point about midway of its length t0a supporting-bracket 24, depending from the carframe.

The rocker-arms l2 of eachof the loading devices are formed integralwith or secured to depending rocker-arms 26, connected' at their lowerends by a cross-bar 27, with which may engage the forked end of a rod28, the opposite end of said rod being connected to Each rod 28 issupported near its outer end by a loop or guide 30, depending from thecarframe and so arranged as to permit slight vertical play of the rodwhen in operation. Each rod 27 is provided with an enlarged flange ordisk 82 in order to prevent accidental displacement of the forked end ofthe rod 28 while the apparatus is in use.

The device forming the subject of the present invention is intended tobe operated by a iiuid under pressure, and preferably this iiuid issupplied from the train-pipe B, said pipe IOO IIo

' n`akframe pivoted under the car, and a framebeing shown as providedwith a connection 34, leading to the cylinder 18. ln this connection 3ais a valve-casing 35, containing a valve 36, that is provided with twoports 37 and 38, and in the valve-casing' is an exhaustport 39. To thelower end of the valve is secured a two-armed lever 40, the oppositeends or arms of said lever being connected to rods 4-1, leading toopposite sides of the car and provided with suitable operating-handleset?, that are arranged within convenient reach of the station agent orother person operating the device.

Vhile the train is running, both of the platform members are held inelevated position, as shown to the right of Fig. 1, and are disconnectedfrom the operating mechanism, When the train arrives at the station, theelevating device at the platform side is unhooked and lowered and thebar ZT enters the forked end of the rod 28, while the apparatus at theopposite side of the car remains inoperative. A trunk or other articleis then placed on the platform, and the operator pulls on the handle 42,allowing air to flow from the train-pipe, through the connection 34, tothe cylinder 18. The piston 19 is moved outward and movement is impartedto the rod 2S, thus elevating the pivoted platform and moving the trunkor other article up toa position above the level of the car-floor, fromwhence it may fall over into the carin a position to be removed by thebaggage-master. ln lowering a heavy article the operation is reversed,the valveoperating rod LL1 being moved slowly in order to allow the airto gradually exhaust from the cylinder through port 39.

1n some cases, especiallyv where the baggage or freight is comparativelylight, the platform n'iay be hooked in a mid-position, as i shown indotted lines to the left of Fig. 1, and used as a step or platform tofacilitate the manual lowering and raising' of the baggage.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed is- 1. 1n apparatusof the class described, a car,

operating' means normally disconnected therefrom.

2. In apparatus of the class described, a car, a hoisting-frame arrangedat one side of the car, and a fluid-pressure operating means normallydisconnected from said frame.

3. In apparatus of the class described, a car, a hoisting-frame arrangedat one side of the car, a fluid-pressure cylinder having a valved 1connection with the train-pipe, a piston ar- 1 ranged within thecylinder, a piston-rod, and detachable connections between the pistonrodand frame to permit movement of the latter to 'inoperative position.

4. In apparatus of the class described, a car, a pair of hoisting-framesarranged atopposite sides of the car, a fluid-pressure cylinder, apiston arranged within the cylinder, operating members extending fromthe piston toward the sides of the car, and means vfor adjusting one orother of said frames into operative position.

5. The combination with a car, of a pair of hoisting-'frames arranged onopposite sides of the car, an operating mechanism common to both frames,said frames being normally detached vfrom the operatingmechanism andbein g independently adjustable into operable relation therewith.

6. In apparatus of the class described, a car, a pair of hoisting-framesarranged on opposite sides of the car, a fluid-pressure cylinder havinga valved connection with a source of fluidpressure supply, a pistonarranged in the cylinder, means 'for connecting the piston to theframes, and if'alve-operating rods extending from the valve to pointsadjacent to the sides of the car.

7. ln apparatus of the class described, a car, a pivotaily-mounted framearranged under the car, a rocker-arm carried by the frame and providedwith a projecting pin or stud, a Vfluid-pressure cylinder under the car,a piston arranged in said cylinder, a piston-rod, and a 'forked rodhaving' an operative connection with the piston-rod, the pin or studbeing adjustable to permit connection with or disconnection vfrom saidforked rod.

8. 1n apparatus of the class described, the combination with a car, of apair of frames arranged at opposite sides of the car, rockerarms carriedby the `frames and provided with headed pins or studs, a fluid-pressurecylinder arranged under the ca r, a piston in said cylinder,' a lever towhich said piston is connect-A ed, a pair of forked rods extending fromthe lever and adapted to engage said headed pins or studs, and a pair ofvalve-operating rods extending from the valve tothe opposite sides ofthe car.

In testimony that l claim the foregoing as my own I` have hereto aflixedmy signature in the presence of two witnesses.

JAMES MCGANN.

Writncsses:

M A R'rrN JoNns, Lans OLseA'uD.

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